This post was written by senior staff writer Hadley Malcolm.
Sipping on complimentary cups of Starbucks coffee, students, entrepreneurs and businessmen and women packed the Marvin Betts Theater Thursday to hear the CEO of the world’s largest coffee company talk about his new book and about the importance of fostering a sense of community and developing relationships when running a business.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz discussed themes from his second book, “Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul.” The book addresses Schultz’s goal of bringing Starbucks back to its original purpose of creating an “intimate, emotional connection with our customers.”
“Starbucks was losing its way,” Schultz said. “We were measuring and rewarding the wrong things and not focusing on the customer experience.”
Schultz began the conversation talking about his meager upbringing in the Brooklyn projects.
“I think what I witnessed as a young boy was the fracturing of the American dream,” he said. “I wanted to build a company my father never got the chance to work for.”
The event was sprinkled with well-packaged advice from Schultz to budding entrepreneurs.
“If you embrace the status quo, it’s a death sentence,” Schultz said. “We can no longer embrace mediocrity as an operating principle.”
GW students in attendance said Schultz’s advice was commendable.
“It was from the perspective of the employee instead of the CEO, which I admire and respect,” School of Business freshman Max Belinsky said.
For two student entrepreneurs, Schultz was relatable and inspiring.
“I loved it,” senior Randy Shore said. “There were a lot of great quotes we were tweeting about.” Shore attended the event with his classmate and business partner Dan Preiss, also a senior. The two started their own business this year, a website that tracks the whereabouts of D.C. food trucks.
“The part that hit home was [when he spoke about] securing funding and talking to people and loving it as much as you love your family,” Shore said.
Josh Frey, president of the D.C. chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a cosponsor of the event, said Schultz is the “quintessential entrepreneur.”
“That dude’s got it figured out,” he said. “Taking your passion and taking your core values and having it pervade your business internally and externally.”
